Season 14 • Episode 1111

Aging with HIV

Episode Description

About this episode:

Life expectancies for those living with HIV are nearly identical to those living without the virus, thanks to groundbreaking advancements in medicine and care. But that data point doesn't tell the full story about the unique needs and nuanced challenges facing those with HIV, particularly as that population skews increasingly older. In this episode: Keri Althoff and Vanessa Johnson, co-authors of a new report on aging and HIV, explain why and how prevention and treatment should adapt to support lifelong health.

Guest:

Keri N. Althoff, PhD, MPH, is a professor of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Vanessa Johnson, MPA, JD, is a recognized advocate, community leader, and champion for people living with HIV. She is the co-executive director at Ribbon, a social justice organization, and senior advisor to ROC4Aging+, a project that seeks to improve quality of life for those aging with HIV.

Host:

Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs.

Show links and related content:

The Lancet HIV Commission on ageing and HIV: a global perspective—The Lancet HIV Commissions
Amy Justice and Keri Althoff on the Lancet HIV Commission on ageing and HIV—The Lancet
On the Cusp of Eliminating HIV—Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine
Growing and Aging: The Population of People Living with HIV—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
"On Going Backwards": A New HIV/AIDS Epidemic?—Public Health On Call (May 2024)

Transcript information:

Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. You can also email PublicHealthQuestion@jhu.edu to request a transcript.

AI disclosure (as of September 2026):

The conversations you hear on the podcast are happening between real humans, and real humans are developing and researching episodes behind the scenes. In addition to real human audio engineers, Public Health On Call uses AI production tools to assist with the removal of filler words and improve audio quality. If you have any questions about our use of AI, please reach out to PublicHealthQuestion@jhu.edu.

Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website.